The car rolled up in the evening, when Cutter was sitting on Vienna’s porch. Drinking tea, watching the world go by, observing the two men climb out and walk up the walkway.
I was expecting Armenian Bros hitters.
He had been in his disguise when he roughed up Davidian, but if the broker was involved with the gang, Janikyan would have sent heavies to check out who was at Vienna’s house. That was the only link to the attacker.
Cops showed up instead. That means Davidian wasn’t lying. He could cross the man off his list of possible suspects.
Matteo stood at the steps and surveyed the house. He cocked his head at Naysha Sutton, who was checking them out over the garden wall. She disappeared when he bobbed his head at her in greeting. Cruz had his hands jammed in his pockets, whistling tunelessly.
‘What will happen to this place?’ the LAPD detective asked around his ever-present toothpick.
‘Dunno.’ Cutter shrugged. ‘I’m meeting Vienna’s lawyer tomorrow. Looks like she made a will.’
‘You collected the bodies?’ The gel on Cruz’s hair caught the evening light and shone.
‘Tomorrow as well.’
‘You’ll arrange a funeral?’
‘Dunno. Arnedra never wanted one. Vienna … I’ll have to see what’s in her will.’
They aren’t here to talk about the burials and properties. He suspected what they were after but didn’t hurry them. He had a warm beverage, the evening was getting cooler, he had time.
Cruz brought it up.
‘You met Arek Davidian today?’
Cutter made a show of frowning heavily. ‘Davidian …?’ he trailed off. ‘Name rings a bell—’
‘He’s a real estate broker in East Hollywood.’
‘Got him. Naysha gave me his card. He had been calling Vienna, asking her to sell.’
‘He was assaulted today by someone who looks like you.’
‘Me?’ Cutter wore an innocent look, as if he wouldn’t hurt a fly. ‘I haven’t met him. I was planning to call him but didn’t get around to it. He gave a description?’
‘He filed a complaint. That came to us because of …’ Cruz jerked his head at the house to make the connection obvious. ‘Attacker is a tall male, your build.’
‘Must be a few hundred thousand men in LA who match that description.’
‘There’s only one who would be asking Davidian about his calls to Vienna,’ Matteo growled.
‘I’ve never been to his place.’
‘Where were you today?’
‘Around. Here, at my Sycamore Avenue place—’
‘You aren’t staying here?’
‘Nope.’ He gave the address of his house. ‘Here.’ He tossed them his cell phone. ‘Location tracking is turned on. See for yourself.’
Matteo caught the device deftly and swiped through screens as Cruz watched over his shoulder.
‘You got any witnesses?’
‘Nope. This dude attacked the broker? He must have left hair, skin—’
‘Nothing.’ The BHPD cop’s lips thinned. ‘He seemed to be prepared.’
‘Back up a moment.’ Cutter sat up straight. ‘You said this person matched my build. You’ve got security camera footage. What did he look like?
‘Nothing like me, right?’ he chortled when the cops remained quiet.
‘You could have been in a disguise,’ Matteo said impassively.
‘He sound like me?’
‘No audio. Video only.’
Cutter had enough. It was time for the outraged citizen act. ‘Search my vehicle, that’s the Land Cruiser on the street, search my house, this place … arrest me if you find anything, otherwise leave me alone.’
My ride. They made no mention of a Toyota. Maybe Davidian’s building didn’t have cameras in the parking lot.
‘We’ve warned you before,’ Matteo threatened. ‘Don’t interfere in our investigation.’
‘Yeah, you told me. You going to arrest me?’
The LAPD detective glowered at him for a moment and turned away furiously. Cruz, not to be outdone, shot a hostile look and followed his partner down the walkway.
Cutter couldn’t help grinning at their erect backs and angry steps as they left. He made a mental note to thank the twins for whatever they had done to make his phone look like it had traveled around the city. They must have dummied it, got the fake phone’s signal to bounce various towers.
He went inside the house and washed his cup. His eyes lingered on the photograph of the two sisters in the kitchen.
Back down from his investigation?
Like hell he would.